and our worldwide consumption of it keeps going up and up it's been a controversial topic but are all sugars

as bad as we make them out to be or are some of them ok

Which kinds? How much? And what about sweeteners like Stevia

We are gonna cover a lot of ground today.

Including 10 ways that we can manage our sugar intake

but as usual I'm going to try to keep this as brief and as uncomplicated

as possible. But we did write an article

about it on the blog. It goes into a lot more

detail. If you want to learn more, link is in the description but for now

Let's dive in

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate

and it can be found in a lot of different kinds of foods

It's most concentrated in forms like white sugar

which has been extracted from a plant and refined into a

crystalline substance. But regardless of where it comes from

Once we eat it our bodies turn it into glucose.

Which is ultimately used for energy.

Glucose is actually our brain and muscles primary and

preferred fuel source. So if our bodies

need it to function optimally. Then why does sugar have

such a bad rap?

Sugars can be extracted from two different categories of

carbohydrates. The first one is called complex

carbs. And these are usually the ones found naturally

in foods. The others are called simple carbs.

And these are usually the sugars that are added to foods.

Simple carbs you'll find in things like sweetened coffee drinks,

energy drinks, colas, fruit juices, store bought cereals

and candies. These simple carbs cause

a rapid spike in blood sugar levels followed

by a rapid drop and that's why sometimes we can

crash and feel tired after

we've eaten something especially sweet. But aside from

fatigue there is potential long term consequences of excess

sugar intake. It can be taxing to the pancreas it can cause

excess weight gain which can increase the risk of things like

diabetes and high blood pressure and so on.

but what about the sugars that are naturally found in some foods. These are things like

whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.

These complex carbs as the name would suggest; they have

a more complex structure.

means it takes longer for the body to break it down.

That means the body processes

and digests the sugars a lot more slowly and that's

a good thing. It leaves our bodies with a lasting

energy supply, it's not so taxing on the pancreas

They are nutrient dense, they give our brain

and our muscles it's preferred energy source

and the fiber helps to keep us fuller for longer.

I get asked about fruit all the time

and I think because people know that there is sugar in it, they feel the need to

avoid it sometimes. And it's true

fruits do contain simple carbs but they also

contain complex carbs

and that complicates things a little bit. But see

the main thing that fruits have that

fruit juices, for example, don't have is fiber

and that is the magic component. The fiber itself helps

the body slow down our absorption of sugars

not to mention that fruits have a whole slew of powerful

nutrients, and there are just so many benefits to eating

them. But what about something like smoothies? Smoothies

keep the fiber intact. You're just adding the whole fruit

to a blender, but sometimes some smoothies can have

a lot of fruits in them. Maybe a banana, and a mango

and an orange and maybe some others as well.

One thing we can do to offset it is to add more fiber.

We've talked about that one, but proteins and fats

also help our body to slow sugar absorption.

So for example you might some spinach for some

extra fiber, some nut butter for some extra fats

and some soy yogurt or soy milk for some extra protein.

Now what about coconut sugar

or maple syrup or agave syrup?

These are more natural than the processed white sugar so they must be better

right? But our bodies actually break them down and use them

in much the same way, there's still

in extracted form and they are still considered simple carbs.

Now we still use these sweeteners in our recipes for it's flavor

sometimes but we try to use them in moderation and

can be substituted for some other ingredients.

I'll share what those are with you in just a minute.

Now what about sugar substitutes; like Stevia

or other artificial sweeteners?

It's a controversial and hot topic and we've delved into it in a lot

more detail in the article in the blog.

Again, link in the description to learn more. Essentially,

these artificial sweeteners are usually zero calorie

which is why a lot of people opt for them.

It doesn't cause the blood sugar spike we've talked about before so no harm

right? And the most recent meta analysis says they

haven't been linked to health outcomes like diabetes, kidney disease

or high blood pressure either. But some studies point out

some other issues. For example, artificial sweeteners might

trick the brain. Consuming them lights up

similar regions in the brain in terms of satisfaction as it

does when we eat sugar. So artificial sweeteners

might not actually help us to curve

sugar cravings, cause our minds are still craving

that something sweet. Bottom line,

there's a lot of controversy on the topic

and here at Pick Up Limes, we recommend whole food sources

over processed foods whenever possible. And this includes added sugars

and artificial sweeteners.

Now we're gonna delve into our top 10 tips on how to

manage sugar intake. Number 1 for most

recipes we can decrease the amount of sugar by at least

a quarter without any noticeable difference in taste or

texture. Number 2, when we can

we use whole foods to sweeten things up. For example,

using a mashed banana in a pancake recipe in place of sugar or

some apple sauce to replace the syrup in some baked goods

like our banana bread. We use unsweetened

plant milk in our smoothies and let the fruits

naturally sweeten it instead and the

same goes for our oatmeal using some fruits

as a natural sweetener in place of syrup.

Number 3, we like to use spices

whenever possible. Things like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

or pure extracts, like vanilla or almond or

lemon extract. To help give flavor without the need

for extra sweeteners. Number 4 our sugar craving

can also be mistaken for thirst so if you're

craving a sweet beverage, try drinking a glass of water first.

Number 5, if water just doesn't cut it because maybe

you're used to the juices, or sodas or energy drinks

Try flavoring the water instead. I like

to add some fresh fruits or cucumbers or herbs are

really good like mint or basil. And

if I'm gonna have 100% fruit juice I try to dilute it

if I can with some carbonated water which makes me

feel like I'm drinking some kind of cola.

And if I'm out buying a flavored coffee or tea drink I just request it

half or a quarter sweet which means they use fewer pumps of syrup.

and number 6, try purchasing unsweetened

plant milks and plant yogurts whenever you can.

If you want to drizzle on some syrup at least you get to decide

how much goes in it. Number 7, if you're craving something

sweet after dinner, try to include some type of fruit

in the mix. We like to go for some fruit that was dipped in

almond butter maybe we melted it together with a bit of pure dark chocolate

or you can try baking some apples

that were sprinkled with cinnamon and serve it with a side of unsweetened

plant yogurt. Or my summer time favorite is just

snacking on some frozen grapes. Number 8,

condiments can have a surprisingly high amount of sugar

added to them. So whenever you can, make your own

salad dressings, or jams or spreads. So that you can control the sugar.

You can try our 2 ingredient jam recipe or our delicious

chocolate spread, or our salad dressings.

I'll leave the links for you below. Number 9,

I can't emphasize the importance of reading labels. Sugar is added

to a whole bunch of foods you might not expect it

and manufactures can be sneaky and call sugar by it's many

different names; evaporated cane juice,

caramel, molasses, dextrin and all the words ending in

-ose like lactose, maltose, dextrose

and sucrose. So try scanning the ingredient list

before you make a purchase.

If you see sugar within the first few ingredients on the list try

seeing if there are any substitutes available instead. For example,

Robin recently asked me to pick up

some cornflakes for him when I was at the store. One of them had sugar

in it as a second ingredient and one had no sugar in it

at all. Reading labels just helps us to make

more conscious decisions. Finally, number 10.

when you've noticed that you've decreased the amount of sugar in your diet

and you've substituted it for homemade versions

or more whole food options you might even start to notice that

those intense sugar cravings gradually disappear.

We retrain or taste buds to appreciate the

natural sweetness of foods.

You might be surprised to see you don't even desire highly sweetened

foods after a while.

At Pick Up Limes, we don't like the label foods as good or bad.

We prefer to label them as more often and less often.

So if I can take a quick second to recap. Not all sugars are

as bad as we make them out to be.

Those that are naturally found in foods are those that we want to enjoy

more often sources like fruits, whole grains and veggies.

Processed sugars, sweeteners, artificial or otherwise

are the ones we want to try to consume less often.

When you need to use added sugars

try a homemade recipe when you can

that way you control how much goes in it.

Also, try to read labels because sugars can be disguised

as many different things. I really hope that you found today's video

helpful and that it shared some insight into the

complicated world that is sugar.

And I want to emphasize that the information shared today

is information I learned when I was studying this stuff

in University. But everyone also has a different

relationship with sugar and they know best, you know

best what works for your body. So don't take my answer as the be all

end all. Always do your own research. Do what feels good

to you. And if you have any tips of how

to manage sugar intake, you can share it in the comments.

See you guys down there. If you enjoyed today's video it always means a lot when you

give it a thumbs up. It shows a lot of support and that's it.

Pick Up Limes signing off. We'll see you in the next video.

Now what about sugar substitutes like Stevia

Now what - now what about sugar substitutes [pop noise]

Now what about sugar sweeteners

Now what about - about

But essentially these artificial sweeteners are zero calorie

which is why - oh my gosh

but some, but some, but some studies

if